Chapter 94: Change the Competition Rules, Dare?
"Emily, you should really check with Byron first. This isn't a game. If you don't get it, don't just jump in and speak for him," Bianca said, barely able to contain her laughter.
Emily was so clueless.
Did she really think this was just a casual race with no consequences?
Byron was about to agree.
Since Emily had spoken for him, he wasn't going to let Bianca mock her.
"Emily and I are on the same page. I was going to say yes, and she answered for me. Got a problem with that? You know, Bianca, I'm really tired of your so-called good intentions. You always act like you're doing everyone a favor, but you're just making decisions for them. You're the last person who should be speaking up here."
Byron shot back without hesitation.
Bianca's face turned pale.
Her eyes welled up with tears as she quickly said, "I'm sorry, James, Finn. I shouldn't have spoken out of turn. Emily doesn't like me, but I can't help thinking about family."
"It's not your fault. You don't need to apologize," Finn said, quickly trying to console her.
Then he turned to Emily. "Since you answered for Byron, how about we raise the stakes a bit? Byron, you cool with that?"
"No way! If Mr. Smith races, it's a guaranteed loss. Why should we add a bet?" Colt said, worried.
Byron hesitated for a moment.
Finn smirked. "If you know you're going to lose, why not just admit defeat now? Then we won't need to talk about any stakes."
Emily's gaze locked onto James. "Finn suggested raising the stakes. What do you think?"
James didn't expect Emily to ask that.
He figured she was still calm because she didn't know his skills. She probably knew nothing about racing, the rules, or the competition itself, which gave her the confidence to ask.
He wanted Emily to see firsthand how much better he was than Byron.
"Since it's a race, there should naturally be stakes," James said firmly.
Bianca's palms were sweaty. She quickly thought about suggesting a bet that would benefit her if they won.
"James, are you serious about the stakes? How about 5% of the Reyes Group's shares?" Bianca suggested, pretending to be helpful.
James considered it. "Alright."
He looked at Byron, but it was clear he was really looking at Emily.
Without waiting for Byron's consent, Emily added, "I find the usual racing methods boring. If we're going to race, let's make it more challenging."
Everyone's eyes turned to Emily.
They all seemed to be asking: Do you know what you're saying?
They assumed Emily was speaking out of ignorance.
Emily continued, "How about we race with passengers? I'll ride with Byron. As for you, James? Will Bianca join you, or will Finn take her place for fairness?"
She was cornering Bianca into participating.
Bianca's face turned even paler. If she refused to participate, it would be an admission of cowardice. Emily could mock her for it forever.
Bianca didn't want that.
She grabbed James' hand, pretending to be strong. "James, I'll race with you. I'm not afraid."
Finn was worried. "No, I'll go. Bianca, your health..."
"Finn, with James by my side, I won't be afraid. My health will be fine," Bianca insisted.
Emily chuckled, but her eyes remained cold. "Bianca says she's fine. After all, her illness seems to come and go as she pleases. Now that it's settled, James, could you inform the organizers to change the rules?"
James knew he'd have to use the Smith family's influence, just like always.
Emily was putting him in a spot where he had no choice but to make it happen.
"Fine, I'll do it. Wait here," James said, his face darkening.
Emily watched with satisfaction as James walked away to make the call.
Finn was furious. "Emily, you're truly despicable. Raised outside, ungrateful, always bullying Bianca. Do you think this will make the family love you? Never! If you think being brought back means you can surpass Bianca, you're wrong. You're here because Bianca needs you. You'll never surpass her!"
"What do you mean? If Bianca doesn't let Ms. Johnson live, she won't? Such a family isn't worth it. Ms. Johnson, come to the Reyes family. You'll be the only princess there!" Byron snapped.
He was spoiled but not inherently bad.
At that moment, Emily felt touched.
So, she was born because Bianca needed her umbilical cord blood.
And she was brought back because Bianca might need a bone marrow transplant.
Finn knew from the start.
Emily's eyes turned icy as she glared at Finn. "You finally spoke the truth! You all knew why I was brought back, including Bianca. Yet you all pretended to love me. You're the hypocrites! Finn, I've already cut ties with the Johnson family. Your lectures don't work on me anymore."
Finn was stunned.
He didn't know this.
He looked at Bianca for confirmation.
Bianca, tears in her eyes, shook her head. "Finn, we never meant to drive Emily away. We just wanted her to reflect. We didn't think she'd go to such extremes."
"You blame us for your cold-heartedness. Let's see how you'll marry into the Smith family without the Johnson family's support. Seems like James doesn't think much of you either!"
Finn's words were filled with spite.
At that moment, James was on the phone, but the announcement didn't come immediately.
He frowned, waiting in the distance, unwilling to come closer.
He couldn't admit that his influence wasn't as strong as he thought. The organizers said they needed to consult their boss.
Meanwhile, the message reached the VIP lounge.
Charles and Daniel were watching the monitors.
Charles hadn't taken his eyes off the screen, muttering anxiously, "Daniel, look at all the contestants. Which one has QS's vibe? Could it be one of them? Wait, Ms. Johnson is there, and so is James, but it doesn't look pleasant."
Daniel wasn't interested in searching for QS before the race.
He knew he'd recognize QS's skills once the race started.
So, he was resting, not in a hurry.
Until Charles mentioned Emily, his eyes snapped open, following Charles' pointing finger to lock onto Emily.
Just then, there was a knock on the lounge door.
A middle-aged man hurried in.
"Mr. Daniel Smith, Mr. Charles Green, Mr. James Green just called. He wants to change the race rules."